Category: Pet Care

Dogs are noted to be man’s best friends. Needless to say, it’s always nice to have a dog, especially ones trained with tricks. As early as the puppy stage, you can train your dog its toilet manners and teach him different tricks. Playing with your dog also helps you get relief from stress after a day’s work.

1. Consider your puppy a toddler
Think of an empty hard drive or computer disk. Put entries that you can save. That’s exactly how it’s like teaching a youngster how to do things the right way. Just the same with your dog, his empty mind can be easily taught. Remember the saying? You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

2. Have patience
Repetitive training means a lot. After all, you are trying to teach a habit for your puppy. So have patience in teaching him, keep calm and be assertive when training. Don’t get upset when your puppy does something wrong or causes an accident. Remember they are puppies, they really don’t know any better.

3. Prepare for your puppy a place of his own
Your puppy will feel secure if he has a place of his own where he can nap or take a breather. Others may prepare a crate so as to contain the puppy especially when busy, so they won’t have to worry whether the puppy is off chewing off someone’s slipper.

4. Establish eye contact
Just like a baby or toddler, establish eye contact when talking to them. For puppies, call their attention and make sure he looks at you when you make a command. That way, the puppy will know from the tone of your voice whether you are angry or pleased with him. In the future, the puppy will know whether he made a mistake just by looking at you or listening to the first word you said.

5. Don’t distract them
During training, make sure not to distract them when trying to teach them something. Like little kids, they need to focus when they’re learning new stuff so it’s best to hold back when you just want to cuddle them instead of teaching them.

6. Discipline them
Avoid giving in to things that will become a big problem in the future. Large dogs are fond of jumping at people as if they’re still puppies. If your pup does this, make sure to correct him once his size gets a little too big to cuddle.

7. Socializing
Enroll in puppy manners and home obedience. Socialize and expose your puppy to people and other dogs. This will be valuable in his training.

8. Health and good grooming
Puppies are just like babies, they need to have frequent naps during the day. Also make sure to have some exercise for your puppy. A scheduled bath time is also needed as part of his training.

Your veterinarian is more important to your dog’s well-being than you think. There’s really no excuse to slack on taking your dog even if it’s for a simple routine check-up, and are available most of the time if you want to schedule an appointment over the phone.

A “wellness exam”, or a check-up, is just a routine visit where your veterinarian will look over your pet to see if it’s healthy, from checking its gait for normal movement to checking the teeth for dental health.

Here are a few reasons why you should get your dog to the vet other than that routine check-up:

Your pet might be sick
There are many indicators that will let you know that your pet is sick, and here are some of the most common:
• lethargy and/or changes in behavior
• loss of appetite
• significant weight gain
• blood (in stool, urine, and vomit)
• constipation
• cloudy or irritated eyes
• vomiting or diarrhea that lasts more than a day
• constant scratching or itching

There are more indicators, too – if they’re drinking more water than usual, for instance, it could be the sign of a kidney problem or diabetes. Even though you think your pet is otherwise healthy, these are signs that you obviously shouldn’t ignore.

For all you know, it might look like a simple fever for a day but it might actually be something life-threatening. Don’t hesitate to call your vet when you notice these signs.

Your pet got in an accident
Accidents happen all the time, even if you try your best to make sure your pet doesn’t run into them. Puppies, in particular, are extremely inquisitive and will explore the different parts of your house – that means they might run into and taste substances that could be really harmful for them.

You want to know how to better take care of your pet
Apart from the routine visits to know whether your dog is fine, you should also take this time to ask how to better take care of your pet. Though the internet is great for added research to know what kind of breed your dog is and how to better take care of it, not everything is true.

The best way to know is by talking and asking questions to your vet, as they are the ones who have the most experience in taking care of animals.

Neutering a male dog sterilizes him and makes him unable to have puppies. However, there are numerous health benefits from “the big snip at the vet’s”, with some of the biggest including decreased risks of certain prostrate diseases and testicular cancer.

De-sexing or castrating a dog is a simple surgical procedure where under anesthesia, the testicles are removed through an incision in front of the scrotum, and the incision is stitched up afterwards.

So should you neuter your pet? Before you do, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of neutering your dog.

Pros
A lot of pet owners all over the world are choosing to neuter their dogs. These are some of the advantages neutering has to offer.

• It reduces leg-lifting. Dogs will mark their territory by spraying it with urine, and the more territory they mark, the more impressive they will seem to other dogs. This means they will also do it all over your furniture.

• It also reduces the risk of your dog being attacked by other dogs, as intact dogs are often seen by other intact males as a potential rival for mates.

• Finally, neutering your pet minimizes the risk of the following conditions that would be more likely to occur in intact dogs: testicular cancer, perianal fistula, and prostate disorders.

Cons
However, neutering should not be seen as a silver bullet that can solve all problems. There are also some disadvantages that neutering can bring.

• Having your dog neutered makes him more likely to be obese. Because your dog is less active, that means your dog will burn less calories. Remember to check your pet’s diet regularly.

• While neutering decreases the risk of certain conditions, it also opens the door to increased risk of other conditions, such as hemangiosarcoma and hypothyroidism.

• Apart from the previously mentioned conditions, neutering can also lead to other complications post-surgery, from abscesses to allergic reactions to the anesthetic used.

• Neutering can cause severe growth impairment for your dog if not done at the right age. For instance, early neutering can cause the leg and hip bones to grow unevenly, and even make them four times as likely to get bone cancer.

Treating your pet to a luxurious vacation or the best pampering experience can be hard, considering the time you have to allot together and the limited places in Singapore you can go to. Let’s be honest here. If you work six days a week, sometimes the idea of spending your Sunday researching and exploring around isn’t really as appealing as sleeping in the whole day to regain your energy.

But if you just know the right places to visit, giving your pet the pamper he deserves can be a piece of cake! You will be surprised at how there are some quality establishments in the city which can tend after your pet. At times, it might even make you wish you knew of it sooner.

The Wagington
Known for its slogan “for the purr-fect staycation”, The Wagington offers 38 pet suites with sizes depending on what your pet needs. The place is perfect if you plan to go on a personal holiday or when something urgent came up and a dog-sitter is nowhere to be found.

Pets would feel pampered at the faux leather beds inside their 24-hour air-conditioned rooms. Complimentary meals are served twice a day, too. They will also get a chance to have two fitness walks outdoors by the Doghill Garden and plenty time of socializing with other guests.

RA Healing Centre
This center provides holistic care for your pets. Just like humans, pets also need their tender loving care when they are under the weather. Pet owners are oftentimes guilty at overlooking this because of their busy work schedule or stress. RA Healing center offers animal rehabilitation services if you want to enhance your pet’s road to recovery from a disease or an injury.

Trained practitioners can also give your pets an hour-long therapy massage for 50 SGD, as well as a chiropractic treatment that stimulates your pet’s body healing abilities.

Barking Good
Pets love it when their owners reward them with tasty treats. However, many off-the-shelf dog treats are full of harmful additives and preservatives which can be harmful. Choose to get all-natural, human-grade dog treats that are proven by nutritionists to be safe for pet consumption. Barking Good is an online store that offers healthy but tasty goodies for your dog. They also offer dog birthday cakes perfect for your dog’s next birthday just around the corner!

Woofer and Purrlensky
Woofer and Purrlensky is one of the most unique pet stores in Singapore. Located along the many shophouses in Chinatown, the store sells luxury goods for your beloved pet. Dresses for your dog or cat in a variety of designs and colors are available at the store perfect for your pet’s next dress-up session. Another remarkable item is the grooming gift set, which includes a microfiber towel and organic oatmeal soap for your dog.